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A spokesman for the Association of School and College Leaders told the BBC : "No doubt people will argue that there should be a uniform approach across the country.

"But I would have thought there is a reasonable case for these decisions to be made locally as schools and councils will be in the best position to judge what is most effective as part of an overall strategy to deter unauthorised absences.

"The other point - and surely the most important one - is that there should be no need to issue any penalty notices at all because children should not be removed from school without authorisation."